There is a need in the art for a device that can be applied as an accessory to a conventional automotive vehicle or the like and that will apprise the operator without the necessity of raising the hood and checking the oil level with the dip stick in the conventional manner whether the lubricant in the crankcase oil pan is at a proper level or whether it needs to be replenished. Checking the oil level by the dip stick is not difficult, but it cannot be done conveniently at certain times or in inclement weather and very often not at all without soiling the clothing of the person doing the job. There is a tendency, therefore, to let the matter go; and this can be detrimental in the extreme if the oil level is down below the level where oil should be added. Also, the job may be distasteful to many persons and even impossible to perform if the person if physically disabled. Furthermore, it is increasingly difficult and sometimes not possible to have the job done by someone else as for example a filling station attendant as once was the case.